Seconds Can Change a Life
by dustflare
Summary: It's only a few seconds... what can that change? Believe it or not, several seconds can really impact your life.
1. Chapter 1

**Characters/Relationships: Prim, Effie, Rory, Prim/Rory (friendship)**

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><p><strong>Reaping Day (Effie) - 74th Hunger Games<strong>

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><p>I shove my hand into the glass ball containing the first and last name of every teenager in District 12. For several seconds, my fingers brush over countless scraps of paper, and a simple fact forms in my mind: no matter what card I choose, some poor, unfortunate child will be sent to an almost certain death. But the thought passes almost as quickly as it came, and I'm still grinning brightly at the crowd below. Finally, I grab hold of one and, before I withdraw my hand, I take a look at the name: <em>Primrose <em>_Everdeen._

_Oh, __no! __Not __this __poor __little __child. _I blink in despair. This morning, when I arrived in District 12, I was greeted by a tiny blonde girl and her companion. Most people here dislike me; while they are living in poverty, I have a life of ease back in the Capitol, with all the food I want and a different pair of shoes for each day of the year. So when I come to announce the names of the two tributes, I get worse-than-dirty looks. Some of these filthy barbarians even appear as if they will attempt to rip my head off if I get any closer to them. I did not expect a young girl to willingly approach me and offer strawberries.

"Thank you, dear, but I'm afraid I cannot accept your gift. Thank you once again for your kindness," I had replied, "and may the odds be ever in your favour!"

"Effie," the girl said tenderly. I turned back around to face her quizzically, and she giggled. "Don't feel bad. It's your job; no one should blame you." By the softness of her expression, I could easily pick up the new subject.

I held out my hand, and she shook it gingerly, still smiling shyly. "May I ask your name?"

With a nod, she stated, "My name is Prim. Primrose Everdeen. And this is my best friend, Rory Hawthorne," Prim gleefully added as she pulled her hand away.

"Well, Primrose, it was nice meeting you, but I had better go for real this time." I smiled at the precious little girl, patted her head, and hurried off, waving over my shoulder.

I just couldn't do this. I'm not a monster. Surely this tiny angel couldn't hurt a fly; she would be dead the second the Games started! _No, __Effie, __don__'__t __do __it, _I command myself. _It__'__s __wrong. _But then another voice in my head fights back. _What __the __Capitol __does __is __wrong, __too__… _I find her in the crowd and nod my head ever so slightly, before dropping the slip and rummaging around for a few more seconds. After all, a few seconds can change a life.

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><p><em>I've had this idea in my head for a while... and I decided to put it into words. I hope you liked ittt(:<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Characters/Relationships: Gale, Katniss, Darius, Prim, Gale/Katniss**

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><p><strong>Goodbyes (Gale)<strong>

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><p>Katniss wraps her arms around me. I pull her closer and allow her to bury her head in my chest. Despite the circumstance, she does not cry. Katniss is strong, and that is one of the many things I admire about her. Her ferocious, protective attitude towards most people here in District 12, her laugh as we joke around in the woods, her perfect aim…<p>

"Gale?" Her voice brings me back to reality, away from all the great memories we share. I almost scowl at her; why did she have to break a perfect silence? But I know better, so I only smile half-heartedly.

"Hush, Catnip. It'll be alright," I soothe, rubbing my hand against her back. "You'll come out alive, and you'll be rich. You won't have to worry about Prim's safety any longer." I pause for a moment, exhaling deeply. "I'll take care of her. Concentrate on yourself for once, you hear?"

"I hear." Katniss's lips turn up in a tiny smile. For several moments, I just stand there, staring fondly at her, lost in her gorgeous grey eyes. Then the Peacekeepers enter the room and announce that it's time to go. I watch blankly as Darius gives me a sad, faint smile.

"Katniss," I say softly, grabbing her hand in both of mine. "Remember, I love you." And with that, I'm escorted out of the room, leaving Katniss to stand and stare in confusion. She'll soon realize the truth. _I __love __you._


	3. Chapter 3

**Characters/Relationships: Cato, Clove, Katniss, Thresh, Cato/Clove (friendship)**

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><p><strong>Feast (Cato)<strong>

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><p>"Cato!" shrieks Clove. "Cato!" Her desperate cries reach my ears and I know she's in trouble. Not once has Clove needed my assistance. Even during the first few minutes of the Games, as the bloodbath was going on, she did her dirty work by herself, running around maniacally and grinning as she stabbed other tributes. I had never seen anything like it. This girl was something else.<p>

I nearly dropped my sword as I took off through the forest, dodging trees and bushes and ducking under limbs. But even with my agility, twigs scraped my face and I slammed into several trees along the way. I was so determined to reach her that I did not even notice the stinging scratches on my cheeks.

By the time I arrive at my destination, I see Clove dangling in Thresh's meaty grasp, fussing and kicking as he raises a rock above their heads. In the blur of a few moments, my sword has been released from my hands and is embedded in District 11's skull, and blood is spewing everywhere as they collapse. For the first time, I embrace Clove and feel her tremble against me.

Then I see Fire Girl. She tries to scramble away backwards, but I can tell she's injured and won't make it very far. Either way, I don't hesitate to grab one of my district partner's knives and toss it carelessly at the absconding tribute.

It's now that I realize how close I was to losing Clove. If I had been any later, she would be dead, and Fire Girl and Thresh would be on the loose. I hug her tighter and press against her body, stroking her hair and whispering soothingly in her ear.

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><p><em>This is it for now, unless I think of anything else I might want to add. I won't be thinking too much about it, though, so don't count on it. I might continue if you really want me to. :) So thanks for reading! I just had to get this little short story out of my head. It's been driving me crazy for the past month.<em>


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